I recently asked a few of our gym members who have made improvements to their body composition to answer a few questions. The idea behind this series is to highlight the stories of people with normal jobs and lives who have implemented the nutritional advice that we provide to great success. We hope that you will be inspired by these stories toward your own successes, and as always we are there to help with all aspects of your health and fitness journey.
The first person in the series is Louis Louwrens.
– Please detail a bit about yourself: My name is Louis Louwrens. I was born and raised in South Africa and have been living in Australia for 8 years. I am a 29-year-old male, I am 192cm tall and weigh 115kg. I am a Mining Engineer at a large underground mine in North QLD, working a roster of 8 days on and 6 days off.
– How long have you been training with Coastal CrossFit? I have been seriously doing CrossFit now for approximately 7 months. Before then I had some exposure to it at work, but I only trained 3-4 times a fortnight and didn’t really get anything out of it other than feeling less guilty about some of the food I ate.
– What prompted you to make some changes to your nutrition? I saw a glimpse of what my true potential can be as an athlete and I realised, when I looked into the mirror, how contradicting that notion was given how overweight I had become. Nutrition plays a big part of becoming a better me, so I sought to change it.
– How long has it been since you implemented these changes? About 7 months ago… Chris made me aware of the Paleo way of eating during my induction session at Coastal CrossFit, and I instantly recognised it as one of the most common-sense and sustainable changes any person can make to their eating habits.
– What results have you seen in this time? I have lost 14.5kg to date and I feel a lot better about being me. I have more energy and I feel more fit and healthy!
– What do you think were the major draw backs in your nutrition and what changes do you think have been most positive? The biggest thing for me was awareness, and it particular being aware of how much sugar I consumed. I had no idea that some of the food I thought as being “healthy” was in actual fact counterproductive for what I was trying to achieve. Flavoured yogurt is a good example. I had flavoured yogurt every morning with natural muesli, thinking I was going great guns, but as it turned out, that “healthy” yogurt I was eating had more sugar in it per unit than Coke!!
I try and follow the Paleo means of eating as much as practical given that when I am at work all food is made for me. I also eat more regularly during the day and thereby eliminating the odds of me craving a massive plate of food before going to bed. I use a meal replacement drinks to aid me in this. Next time you pick up a low fat food/drink item like milk, compare how much more sugar it has (as a %) compared to the “full fat” version and then extrapolate the difference over a long period…
– Do you see yourself being able to sustain or even improve upon your achievements? I feel that I am in a good space right now. I enjoy working out and the way I eat for me is not only sustainable, but gives me a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I believe there is always room for improvement, but I am trying to gradually improve as opposed to going “cold turkey” with some foods and thereby adapting to change rather than forcing it upon me.
– Is there anything else that you thing would be of help to someone reading this? You have to WANT to be better, healthier and/or fitter. Thinking you need to become those things, but not having a true desire to do so makes it so much more likely that you will only achieve a fraction of your potential. Once you get into a healthier means of life you need to find ways to keep you going. Reflecting regularly on how far you have come helps or as in my case having a true desire to become an exceptional athlete and therefore working towards a distant goal.
Congratulations to Louis on his achievements. We are extremely happy for your success and look forward to seeing what you are capable of in the future.
